139: Listener's Choice - The Art of Crafting Powerful Coaching Questions

This is a replay of one of the most popular Prosperous Coach Episodes.I have the pleasure of introducing you to Laurie Cameron of WAKE UP Enterprises. Laurie is literally the best coach I know. She is also the best coach trainer I know.In 2001 I co-created curriculum for Coach Training Alliance and I designed their certified coach program, I was their first trainer. Then I brought Laurie in. She surpassed me significantly and she is their Senior Mentor Coach now. I first met Laurie 20 years or so ago at the Denver chapter of the International Coach Federation and we became fast friends. We were both on the board there. Beyond that, Laurie and I have been accountability partners for each other and doing a little co-coaching now and then. Something every coach needs. LAURIE CAMERON: I am really excited and thank you for all those kind words that made my week as well. So I’m really thrilled to be here.The Most Powerful Coaching SkillRhonda: Laurie, I'm going to ask you some questions. I hope they're powerful questions because that's the topic that we're bringing today. So I wanted to start with … What is your favorite coaching skill, Laurie, and why?LAURIE CAMERON: I would like to ask you a question in return. Complete this sentence: If you want better answers, you …?RHONDA: … have to ask the right questions.LAURIE CAMERON: Close. See when I do full day coach training workshops with leaders and managers and when I train coaches through coach training Alliance, that's the common answer. A better answer is you have to craft better questions. RHONDA: Nice distinction. LAURIE CAMERON: Thank you. Questions are amazing and they're even more amazing and more powerful when you are adept at putting words together in a way that draw somebody's wisdom out and draw out something new and, and send them deep. That's why I love powerful questions and learning how to craft them.Take Your Time To Formulate Powerful QuestionsRHONDA: That's great. I wanted to notice something. You know, you asked me that question and I jumped with my answer. You’re talking about crafting and crafting takes some time. How can a coach that's in the middle of a coaching session take the time to craft a question? LAURIE CAMERON: Well, it's about taking the time to do that actually. And one of the challenges that I've noticed that newer coaches have about asking questions is they don't take the time to craft one before they start asking it. So as soon as the kernel of a question pops into their head, it's coming out their mouth, they are revising it, editing it out loud, and it actually turns into this long thing that the client just loses track of. Learning how to craft a powerful question is more about taking the time, pausing, being comfortable with the silence — which is also a challenge for a lot of coaches — and crafting internally before they open their mouth.LAURIE CAMERON: That's great to know and it reminds me that a lot of times when I'm working with my own clients. I have something to say, could be a question or it could be anything, but if I don't quite have it ready yet, I'll just buy myself some time. I'll just say: Give me a second, I’m thinking. To read the rest of the transcript go here.